Egg-crate.



S. C. WALLACE.

EGG CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, ms.

11.,%29,6@& Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

S. C. WALLACE.

tee CRATE. I APPLICATION FILED APR.14.|916. 31,$Q9,5@8. Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/vi li'awoozo I WW SIDNEY C. WALLACE, OF-OHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EGG-GRATE.

aaaees.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed April 14, 1916. Serial No. 91,083.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, SIDNEY C. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Egg-Crate; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved shipping crate, and an object of the invention is to provide a crate of this kind, more especially adapted for transportation by parcel post, for transmitting eggs and other breakable articles and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shipping crate or receptacle constructed from any suitable meshwork, preferably coarsely woven textile fabric or meshwork.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shipping crate, which when con structed of heavy cotton cord or other textile coarsely woven fabric, may be immersed or soaked or dipped in some suitable solution, such as the combination of Wallpaper paste and glue, or starch and glue and the like, that when dry will hold the textile fabric in various stiffened shapes or contours, for example, as shown in the drawings. An advantage in constructing a textile coarsely woven fabric shipping crate of this kind, is that the same can be easily collapsed for return transportation, by simply immersing the crate in hot water or the like, rubbing the same to remove the starchy or other stifien ing solution, whereby the crate can be rolled or folded into a very small compass. By so preparing the crate for return transportation, it is to be ob served that quite a number ofcrates can be packed in a box.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a shipping crate comprising an outer casing having a suitable closure, and

an inner casing for the reception of a box of eggs or the like, there being means for holding the box of eggs in the inner casing, which is held suspended spaced on the interior of the outer casing, by means of yieldable springs extending from the corners of the outer casing to the corners of the'inner casing.

In practical fields the details of construction. may necessitate alterations, falling Within the scope of what is claimed,

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a shipping crate particularly adapted for transporting eggs and the like, and the inner and outer casings of which are constructed of heavy and coarsely woven textile fabric, the weave of the fabric of the inner casing being closer than that of the outer casing, which is constructed of heavy cotton cord textile fabric, and which inner and outer casings may be dipped in a suitable solution, so as to hold the casing so stiffened to the shapes shown.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a shipping crate.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the shipping crate.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line M of 0 Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the springs for supporting the inner casing.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the clamp for one end of the inner casingfor holding a box of eggs or the like in place.

Fig. 7 is a detail view through the hinged end of the closure of the outer-casing.

Referring more especially to the drawings, l designates the outer casing, which may be constructed of any suitable fabric or coarsely woven meshwork, preferably a heavy cotton cord textile fabric. This outer casing may be any suitable shape, rectangular, cylindrical, barrel-shaped or the like, preferably rectangular in this instance for shipping eggs and the like. Arranged on the interior of the casing 1 is a smaller casing 2, which may be of the shape corresponding to that of the outer casing. The innercasing in the present instance is constructed of heavy textile fabric, of a closer weave; than the weave of the outer casing, preferably the weave very near the weave of very heavy canvas. By means of some suitable solution, in which both casings may be immersed or soaked, the casing may be stiffened to any desired or suitable shape. The outer casing is provided with an open end, there beingasuitable closure3 hingedly connected to the outercasing by means of the strap hinges 4. The closure 3 partially telescopes into the outer casing and is provided with a flange 5, to insure closing the open end of theouter casing about the edges of the closures. A suitable strap 7 connects the free end of the closure to one edge of the open end of the outer casing, to hold the closure in position when closed. As shown clearly in Figs. 1' and 6 the inner casing 2 has an open end 9, through which a box of eggs or the like may be. inserted, there being a clamp hinged by loops or eyes 10 to one edge of the open end of the inner casing. This clamp 11 consists of a single length of wire bent to form a. loop at its free end, which loop 12 is bent down and so shaped as to engage an opposite edge of the open end of the inner casing 2, thereby holding a box of eggs or the like in the inner casing. Connected to and extending from the corners of the inner casing is a plurality of coil springs 13 having their other ends vextending toward and connected to the corners of the inner casing by the eyes 14. The springs constitute means to hold the inner casing yieldably suspended and spaced from the interior surface of the outer casing, so that the inner casing will vibrate during transportation, thev coil springs absorbing all shocks.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A shipping crate comprising an outer casing constructed from a heavy cotton cord textile stiffened fabric, an' inner casing constructed from a corresponding textile fabric, and means connected to and extending from the corners of the outer casing toward and connected to the corners of the inner casing, for yieldably suspending the inner casing spaced upon all sides from the inner surface of the outer casing.

2. A shipping crate comprising an outer casing constructed from a textile stiffened fabric, provided with an open end, a textile fabric closure for said open end, an inner casing constructed vfrom a stiffened textile fabric provided with an open end, clamping members carried by the open end of the inner casing to hold the contents of the inner casing in place, yieldable means connected to and extending from the corners of the outer casing toward and connected to the corners of the inner casing, for suspending the inner casing spaced upon all sides from. the inner surface of the outer casing. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY C. WALLACE. 

